Without limiting the scope of the invention, its background is described in connection with existing devices for healing after plastic surgical interventions. Patients who undergo plastic surgery procedures such as cheek implant surgery or chin implant surgery are customarily provided compression “masks” or bandages for a few days or weeks following the surgery to maintain the implants in proper position during the healing process, particularly during the time when post-surgical swelling around the implant site is subsiding and the implant positions are becoming established in their desired locations. These support devices typically are in the form of elastic bandages that may be specifically designed to hold underlying surgical bandages and/or cooling gel or “ice” packs in place. Also available are partial and full facial plastic surgery compression garments such as those depicted in Shesol et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,512,159, Kelly et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,039,710 and Reeves U.S. Pat. No. 5,961,479. While these devices may be recommended immediately following surgery, they are cumbersome and generally uncomfortable and are not designed or desirable for prolonged use. Furthermore, existing devices are not susceptible to custom fitting.
In addition to unmet needs for comfortable unobtrusive positional maintenance devices, solutions for maintenance of facial structures with aging are not available. With aging, the muscles of the face become thinner and longer. Fat deposits that veneer the musculature during youth are lost with aging resulting in progressively hollow facial structures covered with sagging skin. Non-surgical solutions for tightening the skin have been proposed including the elasticized adhesive facial gathering strips disclosed by Nash-Morgan in U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,675. A facial toning device including adhesive pads was disclosed by Karnwie-Tuah in U.S. Pat. No. 8,257,385. The Karnwie-Tuah device is described as a pair of adhesive pads for adhering to the user's facial skin, a pair of supporting earpieces connected to the adhesive pads, and a strap behind the head connecting the pair of earpieces. The length of the back strap is adjusted until a desired tension is placed on the pads, which causes the pads to stretch the skin and allegedly tone the facial and upper neck muscles naturally over a period of time. However, such devices do not apply direct pressure to the underlying structures.
Dry eye is a further condition that is associated with aging as well as certain diseases such as Grave's Opthalmopathy and Sjogren's Syndrome. Existing devices for keeping the eyes closed and humidified during rest are available as modified goggles. However, these devices require a strap going around the head and are frequently dislodged during sleep.
From the foregoing it is apparent the there is a need in the art for positional maintenance of facial structures and facial fillers such as implants and injectables. Disclosed herein are devices and methods to accomplish such ends. Also disclosed are devices for positional control of the eyelids during rest.